Let The Doctor In
by alski86
Summary: Set after Let Me In, The Doctor and Peri confront Abby and Owen and put an end to Abby's monstrous life.
1. Chapter 1

"Baltimore, here we come!" Peri exclaimed, leaning over the TARDIS console.

The Doctor gently brushed her aside as he rushed around the console.

"Peri, please move out of the way!" the Doctor said, "It's not often I'm asked for requests."

He was taking her back home to see her family. God knows how long they had been travelling though time. After a while, it became impossible to tell. It could be years. So to play it safe they were returning a year after the time Peri left.

That was the plan anyway. After nearly six centuries of time travel, the Doctor had still not completely mastered the TARDIS. There were always little things that he discovered now and then. It was why he was rushing around as he was. He couldn't bear the idea of Peri realising he wasn't totally sure of what he was doing.

Eventually, he initiated materialisation, convinced that he was close as he could be to the right time zone.

"Well," he said, clasping his hands together, "here we are."

"Baltimore, 1984?" Peri asked.

"Friday, September 14th to be precise," the Doctor announced, proudly.

"Alright, Doctor!" Peri smiled as she stepped outside, "Well done!"

"And just what is THAT supposed to mean, Miss Brown?" he asked, following her.

"It's just that when you say we're going someplace special, we always end up someplace horrid," Peri replied.

She suddenly noticed how dark it was. It was also incredibly cold. Everything around the TARDIS was covered in snow. She was only wearing a short dress so she wrapped her arms around herself to keep warm.

"I thought you said we'd landed in September!" Peri said.

"Of course," the Doctor said, indignantly.

"It's supposed to be fall," Peri said, "I'm freezing my butt off."

She quickly looked around the alley where the TARDIS had materialised. There was a trash can near the entrance. She skipped over to the bin, painfully aware of the freezing cold water seeping into her shoes from the snow. She reached into the bin to retrieve a newspaper.

"Perhaps it's not September after all," the Doctor suggested, feeling slightly sheepish, "or we could just be a few miles out of Baltimore."

"A few miles!" Peri exclaimed. "Look at this!"

She held up a newspaper, The Albuquerque Journal.

"We're in New Mexico!" she shouted, "We're not even close to Baltimore!"

"It's the same country," the Doctor said sulkily.

Peri sighed, fighting the urge to throttle the Doctor. She lost the fight, throwing the paper at him.

"And look, 1984 you said," Peri pointed at the date on the paper, "This says March, 1983!"

"Ah," the Doctor said, crestfallen.

"I'm going back inside," Peri said, angrily, "I can't feel my toes anymore!"

With that she slammed the door, leaving the Doctor in the cold.

'Best not follow her just yet', he thought. He breathed in the cool air and let snowflakes fall on his tongue. Enjoying his brief moment of peace, took the newspaper Peri had thrown at him, leant against the TARDIS and started reading.

It was all theft, car accidents and all sorts of terrible business. All part and parcel to life itself, even murder to a degree. Not that that ever sat well with the Doctor.

The article on the third page was particularly disturbing. It detailed the discovery of bodies across the country, most recently in Los Alamos, found hanging upside down with all the blood drained out of them. This spate of attacks had culminated in the discovery of four boys found dead at the Los Alamos Swimming Centre. All four bodies were found torn to pieces but very little blood was left at the scene. The article suggested that the blood was to be used in some kind of satanic sacrifice.

This made the Doctor's stomach turn. The things these humans did to each other. He folded the newspaper and stared into space, trying to remember the name of the killer.

It stood to reason that deaths like this never stayed under the radar. The more horrifying the slaughter, the more people wanted to know. He tried to remember if he'd heard of the perpetrator at some point in the future.

He was deep in thought when he heard a blood-curdling scream and the sound of growling. He ran in the direction of the sound, coming to a dark tunnel. A man in dark lycra gear was lying motionless on the ground with a smaller creature bent over him.

"What's going on here?" the Doctor cried.

The small creature turned around and stared at him. It looked like a little girl but its face was gnarled and deformed as though it was going through some dreadful transformation.

The Doctor barely had time to think about running before the creature leaped up at him and wrestled him to the ground. He fought with all the strength he could muster but the child was far stronger than he was. She eventually pinned his wrists to the ground, bared her teeth and prepared to bite.


	2. Chapter 2

The Doctor expected nothing but death. He turned away and waited for the sensation of teeth breaking his flesh, but nothing happened. He looked at the creature. Its irises were milky white and it had a confused look on its face. The creature let go of his hands and laid hers on the Doctor's chest. It moved face-to-face with him and sniffed.

The creature then backed away, growling at the Doctor before running out of the tunnel and out of sight.

The Doctor lay on the ground, shell-shocked. He was so deep in his trance that he couldn't concentrate on the world around him. He only regained his composure when he felt two hands on his shoulders.

"Oh god! Doctor!" he could just make out the words. He blinked, trying to bring his senses into focus.

The slap across his face finally brought him back.

"Doctor, snap out of it!" Peri cried, panicking.

"Peri? Peri! What are you doing out here? It's not safe," the Doctor said.

"I was looking for you," Peri answered, "I went into the TARDIS to put on some warm clothes and when you didn't come in, I came out to look for you. What the hell happened here?"

"I don't know," the Doctor answered, "It took me by surprise though, I can tell you."

Peri helped the Doctor to his feet and together they walked over to the body of the young man. The Doctor bent down to have a close inspection. Peri turned away in horror and disgust.

The corpse's eyes were wide open and the skull was almost visible through the skin. The skin complexion was grey and the only sign that there had been any life at all in this body was the bite mark on its neck. The bite was lined with bright red blood. The creature must have struck an artery. The poor young man didn't stand a chance.

"Sucked bone-dry," the Doctor muttered, a note of sadness in his voice.

"By what?" Peri asked, "what? Like a vampire or something?"

She felt silly mentioning the possibility. She'd seen Cybermen, Sontarans and Daleks but even after all that, she still couldn't accept the possibility of vampires existing.

When the Doctor didn't reply, her blood ran cold.

"But I thought vampires were a myth, Doctor," she said.

"Oh, every myth starts with a seed of truth, Peri," the Doctor replied. "However, that's not what's bothering me most."

"Then what?" Peri asked, concerned.

"The creature that attacked me was small," the Doctor said, "It looked like a child."

Abby walked barefoot through the snow, back to the warehouse. She and Owen had been hiding there since they arrived from Los Alamos.

However, she wasn't thinking about Los Alamos or even Owen. She was thinking about that strange man in the red coat. He had a weird scent that she'd never smelt before. Her curse allowed her to pick victims that were healthy. She could tell by the way someone smelled if there was something wrong with them. If they had cancer or a terminal illness, she would leave them alone. Diseased blood was no good to her. A dead man's blood was fatal.

Which is why 'Red Coat' (as she had decided to call him) was so confusing. At first whiff, Abby perceived a perfectly healthy man in his late forties but when she got really close, she could smell death on him. He almost reeked of it.

There was a moment some fifty years before when she attacked an undertaker but was put off at the last second because the smell of the corpses he dealt with had clung to him.

'Red Coat' was different. This smell came from him. How can a man be alive and dead at the same time?

That wasn't the only question on her mind. When she was on top of 'Red Coat' and about to strike, she heard and felt two heartbeats in his chest. 'Red Coat' was no ordinary man. She needed to know more.

She walked through the door on the warehouse and down into the dark basement. Owen was sitting on a couch with a blanket wrapped around him, waiting for his friend to return.

He smiled, but it disappeared when he saw the concerned look on Abby's face.

"What's wrong?" he asked, quietly.

"Nothing," she said.

"Okay," Owen said, hugging the blanket closer to him.

Abby saw the slightly hurt look on his face and walked over to sit beside him. She put her arms around him. They sat in silence for a while before Owen finally got up the courage to ask, "Are you… hungry anymore?"

Abby sighed. "No," she said.

"Good," Owen smiled, meekly.

"But someone saw me," Abby finished.

Owen met Abby's gaze. "Are we gonna have to leave again?" he asked.

"I don't know," Abby said.

"What happened?" Owen asked.

"There was a man in funny clothes, like a clown or something," Abby said, "He saw me when I was feeding. He called out, so I went after him."

Owen shivered. As much as he loved Abby, he would never get used to her vampire side. Even though she had helped get rid of his bullies back home, it always bothered him when she talked about her attacks.

"I was on top of him, but I stopped," Abby said.

"Why?" Owen asked.

"Do you know what kills vampires?" she asked.

Owen was taken aback by the unexpected question. He thought for a second.

"Um, sun light, wooden stake through the heart," Owen said, thinking of all the methods he'd seen in movies, "garlic?"

"I guess," Abby said, unsure how much of that was true, "but blood from something dead can kill me. It's like something in my mind warns me not to drink it."

"So?" Owen asked.

"Owen, this man was dead," Abby said, "He was alive but dead as well."

"How?"

"Owen," Abby said, "I need your help."

At that Owen stood up, ready to do whatever Abby asked. She smiled.

"What can I do?" Owen dutifully asked.

"Do you still have that knife?" Abby asked.

"Yeah," he said, pulling the blade from his back pocket.

"I need you to get some of his blood for me," Abby instructed, "I can't do it because he's seen me already."

Owen looked at the knife in his hands. He'd never got a chance to use it and he was unsure whether he would be able to go through with it.

Then he looked back at Abby, beautiful Abby, his only friend in the world, and he knew he would do it, gladly.

"What does he look like?" Owen asked.


	3. Chapter 3

The Doctor and Peri were following the creature's footprints into the forest. Peri hadn't spoken to the Doctor since he decided to leave the body where they found it rather than alert the authorities.

The Doctor was trying to explain to her that if they called the police, they were likely to hold them and ask them difficult questions like where they came from, addresses, how they came to be in Albuquerque or why did they just happen to be walking late at night, the same time the body was found.

"Do be reasonable, Peri," the Doctor implored.

"Reasonable?" Peri snapped, "Have you thought about the next poor soul who's going to find that body? We could at least have moved it!"

"And if we got caught, then what? Hmm?" the Doctor retorted. " 'Oh sorry, officer, we were just moving the body so nobody would find it'?!"

Peri made an exasperated growl, fed up with the Doctor and his stupid clever brain.

"Besides, if the police decide we're suspects, we won't be able to investigate for ourselves, will we?" the Doctor asked.

Peri sighed, "I guess not. Okay, so how do we start?"

"The question isn't how, Peri, but why," the Doctor said, stroking his chin as he followed the little footprints, affecting the manner of Sherlock Holmes.

Peri followed behind him. "_Why_ do we start?" she asked, perplexed.

"Why didn't the vampire attack me?" the Doctor corrected.

"Perhaps you're an acquired taste," Peri joked.

"Perhaps," the Doctor said, contemplating.

"Oh, c'mon! When you're a vampire, blood is blood, right?" Peri asked, concerned the Doctor didn't see her joke.

The Doctor looked at Peri.

"If you're referring to human blood, yes. But the blood of a timelord is vastly different from human blood. The poor creature had no idea what she was dealing with," the Doctor said, concerned.

"You're not feeling sorry for her, are you?" Peri asked, amazed.

The Doctor came to a halt at a tree where the footprints stopped. He looked up into the branches, searching for signs of disturbance as he spoke.

"It's very likely that she was turned into a vampire against her will," the Doctor said, "I've never heard of a twelve year old who wanted to be a vampire, have you?"

"Well, no," Peri said.

"She could be hundreds, maybe thousands, of years old, but she's still young, immature," the Doctor said, "She needs someone to help her."

"You gonna adopt her?" Peri asked, half joking.

"We'll see," replied the Doctor.

Owen was twenty meters away, hiding in the darkness, as 'Red Coat' and his friend were investigating the tree.

It hadn't been hard finding them. Owen followed Abby's directions to the tunnel and had gotten half way when he spotted the man in the red coat.

He could hear him and his friend talking about vampires as though it as nothing, just a minor inconvenience to their night.

He had still been a little unsure whether he could attack 'Red Coat', but when he heard they might take Abby away, it made him angry. He'd kill anyone who'd try to take her away from him.

He'd just have to get close enough.

"Hey, mister!" he yelled.

The Doctor turned as Peri gasped in fright. A boy came out of the darkness, with his hands behind his back.

"Hello!" the Doctor called, "aren't you a bit young to be out on your own."

"What's it to you?" the boy retorted.

The Doctor frowned. "Children shouldn't be on their own on a night like this. It's dangerous," the Doctor leaned down so he was face to face with the boy, "There are monsters in the darkness."

Owen stepped back a little. This guy was giving him the creeps. He clutched the knife tighter behind his back.

Peri spoke up, "but don't worry, kid. You're safe with us. Right, Doctor?"

"Of course," the Doctor straightened up, "I'm sorry. This is Peri, my assistant, and I'm the Doctor." He held out his hand in greeting.

Instinctively, Owen reached out and shook the Doctor's hand. Then with his other hand brought out the knife and aimed it at the Doctor's shoulder.

Owen's moves may have been quick but the Doctor was faster. He caught Owen's arm at the wrist before the blade could reach his skin.

Panicking, Owen tried to pull away but the Doctor wouldn't let go.

"NO!" Owen cried, "You can't take her from me!"

"Whoa!" Peri exclaimed, "What are you doing?"

"Grab him, Peri," the Doctor instructed.

Peri threw her arms around Owen's waist, while the Doctor wrestled the knife from his grasp and threw it out into the snow.

"Abby's my friend!" Owen yelled, "She's mine!"

"Abby?" the Doctor asked, "Is that her name? The vampire?"

"ABBY!" Owen screamed up into the trees, calling out for her.

"Do you know where she is?" the Doctor asked Owen. "Where can we find her?"

Owen continued to struggle as Peri held on to him.

"Doctor, I'm not sure I can hold on much longer," Peri said.

The Doctor ignored her and continued to interrogate Owen.

"Boy, tell me where she is before she kills again!" the Doctor demanded.

There was movement in the trees up above. Peri saw a figure as it moved swiftly above them.

Peri let go of Owen and pointed. "Doctor, up there!"

The Doctor turned just as Abby jumped down on to the Doctor, knocking him to the ground.

Abby took a moment to look over to her companion.

"Owen, take care of her," Abby said, pointing at Peri.

Owen and Peri locked eyes then both turned to the knife that had fallen in the snow. They both ran for it, but Peri was larger and stronger than Owen and managed to wrestle the boy's arms behind his back while he struggled. She made no move to hurt the young boy, but she wasn't going to let go.

While the Doctor may have been larger and considerably heavier than Abby, Abby had no trouble subduing him. The Doctor did his best, using what he could remember from his Venusian Aikido training, throwing punches at the child-beast, but it made no difference. She threw him around like a rag doll, pummelling him into a tree. He cut his head on one of the lower branches and the blood dripped down his head, on to the snow.

Drained of all energy from the fight, the Doctor sat up with his back against the tree and Abby wiped the blood from his brow and brought it to her lips.

She licked the blood from her fingers. In that moment she felt a rush of energy she'd never felt before. She could see in her minds eye the life of the Doctor. The scent of death she'd caught earlier wasn't death at all. It was a kind of renewal, when his body died it would become new again. She could feed again.

Her face took on the features of a demon. She smiled, glad of the prospect of a one-man-feast. She walked towards the Doctor, slowly.

"Peri," the Doctor said, frightened.

Peri immediately let go of Owen and ran to the Doctor's aid, attempting to tackle Abby.

Abby turned and regarded Peri with sheer disdain. As soon as Peri got close, Abby lashed out with the back of her hand, sending Peri flying ten feet before landing on her back, winded.

"Abby, don't do this," the Doctor begged, "I'm a doctor, I can help you if you let me."

Abby bared her teeth, ready to strike.

"Abby, please!" the Doctor begged, "Let me help!"

Ignoring the Doctor's pleas, Abby sank her teeth in and drank deeply of the Doctor's blood.


	4. Chapter 4

Owen stood back and watched as Abby sucked on the Doctor's neck, glad to see this man was no longer a threat.

So enthralled was he that he didn't see Peri get up. He didn't notice until she was rushing past him, grabbing Abby, pulling her away from the Doctor and throwing her to the side.

Then, completely ignoring the two children, she turned to check on the Doctor. He was still conscious but his face was very pale. Peri lifted the Doctor's hand and pressed it to the bite mark.

"Here," Peri said, "That should stop the bleeding."

The Doctor nodded meekly. His gaze was fixed on Abby.

"So what now, Abby?" The Doctor whispered.

Abby turned to Owen. His face was red from being pressed into the snow. There was a graze on his cheek. She turned angrily to the Doctor.

"Your friend hurt Owen," she said, turning to Peri.

"Abby, no!" the Doctor tried to yell. "That's enough!"

But Abby started walking towards Peri with a ravenous look in her eye.

Peri turned and hugged the Doctor.

"I'm sorry, Peri," he whispered.

Abby took two steps towards Peri and then stopped. She felt a pain in her chest. Her hand moved to her heart and she looked to Owen with a worried look on her face.

"Owen, something's wrong," she said in a tiny voice.

Her features had morphed back to their original form and she looked like a frightened little girl.

Owen turned to the Doctor, "What have you done?"

The Doctor was gathering his strength. Only one of his hearts was beating due to the lack of blood circulating around his system. He managed to stand up using the tree as a sort of crutch. Before he could answer, Abby fell to the ground in agony. She felt her body being rocked by an explosion in her chest.

Whump- whomp. Whump-whomp. Whump-whomp.

Abby fell into a coughing fit. With every rasp, plumes of grey smoke erupted from her mouth. When she looked up, her eyes were glowing like gold.

"SHE'S BURNING FROM THE INSIDE!" Owen screamed.

"That's not ash, Owen," the Doctor said, "It's dust."

"What's happening to her?" Peri whispered.

"At a guess," the Doctor started, "I'd say that her heart has started beating for the first time in years."

"How?" Peri asked.

"Blood is life, Peri. The blood of a timelord, even more so. You've seen it before. The body dies, and the system starts anew," said the Doctor.

"She's regenerating?" Peri asked.

"Or a very close approximation," the Doctor said.

Owen wrapped her arms around Abby, trying desperately to soothe her coughing fit. With every cough, huge clouds of dust erupted from her mouth and settled on the snow.

"Where is all that dust coming from?" Peri asked the Doctor.

"She must have been dead for centuries. The blood in her veins has long since congealed and decomposed to the point of dust. Her new heartbeat is causing it to circulate back to the lungs and be expelled," the Doctor said, watching with intense interest as Abby continued to bellow the dust. "Fascinating," he remarked.

"Can't we do something?" Peri asked.

Owen was crying as Abby finally stopped coughing. Her skin had started to glow. She grew so hot that Owen had to pull away to avoid burning himself on her skin. The snow at her feet had melted to water then boiled to steam.

"Owen, step back here," the Doctor called.

"What have you done to her?" Owen wept.

"Get back here now!" the Doctor ordered.

"What are you?" Owen demanded.

Peri, knowing what was about to happen to Abby, grabbed Owen and hugged him tightly to her, shielding him from the blinding light radiating from Abby.

A second later, there was a great flash as Abby's body exploded. Then there was silence and darkness.

It took a while for their eyes to adjust back to the darkness. When they did, the Doctor, Peri and Owen saw Abby. She looked almost exactly the same. Same face, same height, same weight. The only difference was her hair. Her flat dark brown hair had changed into light blonde, similar to the Doctor's hair but longer. She was staring down looking at her hands.

Even in the moonlight, Abby could see something different about them. They were pink, not pale. She put her hand on her face. Her face and hands were both warm. Warm. Something she hadn't felt in a long time.

She hadn't felt cold for a long time either. The steam from the melted snow was now settling on her legs and cooling rapidly. She was freezing. She wrapped her arms around herself to warm up.

Owen instantly stepped forward, removing his jacket and wrapping it around her shoulders.

"What's happened to me?" She asked Owen.

"I don't know," Owen said. He turned to the Doctor, "Are you a wizard?"

"No," the Doctor answered, "I'm a doctor."

"A-a-am I a-alive?" Abby asked, stuttering from the cold.

"You were always alive, Abby," the Doctor answered, "but now you're human again."

Abby smiled, unsure. She wiped the Doctor's blood from her chin and looked at it. For the first time, she didn't feel that hunger she always felt when she saw blood. Instead, she felt repulsion and every instinct telling her to get rid of it. Despite these instincts, she brought the fingers to lips and licked at the blood as though testing her new body. The taste was vile and her entire body screamed out in protest. She turned away from the group and spat it out again.

"I'm normal!" Abby said, gleefully.

The Doctor smiled. Despite being almost eaten alive by this little girl, he was pleased. As he'd expected, this little girl wasn't a vampire by choice and he was glad that he could have helped, although he hadn't counted on human regeneration.

Abby stopped. Her hand moved to her temple and her face became troubled.

Owen stopped too. "Abby, are you okay?" he asked.

"My head," Abby said, clutching a fist to her temple. "All those things I did. All the people I've … aargh!"

She fell to the ground again, screaming. The Doctor rushed over to quickly examine her. Her eyes were bloodshot and her nose was bleeding.

"Oh dear," he said, worriedly.

"What is it, Doctor," Peri asked.

"Is she changing again?" Owen asked.

The Doctor scooped Abby up in his arms and started running back the way he and Peri had come.

"Back to the TARDIS," the Doctor cried, "NOW!"


	5. Chapter 5

They made it back to the TARDIS in record time. Peri opened the door before the others rushed inside, the Doctor carrying Abby, and Owen running alongside.

Owen briefly noticed the blue box was bigger inside but right now all he cared about was Abby and whether the Doctor could save her.

"Where are we going, Doctor?" Peri asked.

"The zero room," The Doctor answered, "I just hope it hasn't been deleted from the TARDIS archives. I don't have time to make a new one."

"Will the zero room help?" Owen asked.

"I don't know," the Doctor said, "but we're about to find out."

They'd all now stopped in front of the door to the zero room. Abby was moaning in pain and her bloody nose was getting even worse.

"Owen, open that door," the Doctor instructed.

He did so and breathed a sigh of relief to see a large white room on the other side.

"Right, everybody in and shut the door behind you!" the Doctor shouted.

They all scrambled into the zero room and Owen slammed the door behind him. As soon as he did he was consumed with an overwhelming sense of peace. They all were. Their mad rush from the woods to the TARDIS to the zero room had left them in frenzy but, as soon as they entered the zero room, the feeling immediately dissipated.

Even Abby had calmed down and was resting. She felt lighter in the Doctor's arms. The Doctor held her out and her body started to float in mid air. Owen was spellbound.

"You ARE a wizard," he said.

"It's not me, it's the ship, this room. Can you feel it?" The Doctor asked.

"What is this place, Doctor?" asked Peri.

"The zero room is a place of tranquillity," the Doctor explained, "as you might imagine, time and space travel can take it out of you once in a while."

"I've wondered where you always disappear off to," Peri commented.

"This room has healing qualities for the mind, body and soul," the Doctor said, "and Abby needs it more than anyone."

"Why?" asked Owen.

The Doctor explained. "Well, her mind needs it because she's lived for so long. If you try to fit 300 years worth of memories into the mind of a 12-year-old girl, it's like trying to write the entire works of Shakespeare on a Post-It note. She needs time in here to gain some perspective. That's also why she started getting headaches. Her young human cranium couldn't cope with the number of brain cells generated to hold those memories. And as for her soul, well, I think we all know why she needs to be here."

"How do you know all this?" Owen asked.

"Because I've been in her situation," the Doctor said.

"You have?" Owen raised an eyebrow.

"Five times, as a matter of fact," the Doctor reminisced, "On the fourth time, I needed to use this room to get my thoughts together."

Still floating in the zero room, Abby awoke.

"Where am I?" Abby asked, scared, "Where's Owen?"

"I'm here, Abby," he said, reaching out for her hand, "It's okay."

Abby looked down and realised she was floating. She started to cry.

Peri took her other hand and held it gently.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" Peri asked.

"I'm flying," Abby wept, "you said I was normal."

"You are normal," Owen reassured her, "It's this place. It's going to help you get better."

"You promise?" Abby asked.

Owen looked over at the Doctor, who slowly nodded his head. Owen turned back to her.

"I promise," he said.

"I think we better leave Abby for a few hours," the Doctor suggested, "give her a chance to recover in peace."

"Okay, Doctor," Peri agreed.

Owen said nothing. He really didn't want to leave Abby. Abby looked down and smiled.

"It's okay, I'll be fine," she said.

Owen smiled back.

"Okay," he said.

He followed the Doctor and Peri back out into the corridor. Owen was about to close the door to the zero room when Abby called out to him.

"Owen?"

"Yeah?" he answered.

"Do have any more of those 'Now and Later's?" she asked.

"Uh-huh," Owen said.

"Can I have one?" Abby asked.

Owen beamed, "Sure!"

He walked in, reached into his pocket and pulled out one of the candies, unwrapped it and handed it to her. She put in her mouth and chewed on it. She smiled.

"It's really good," Abby said, "Can I have another?"

Owen laughed. It was so different from the first time she tried one, so much better.

He emptied his pockets of all the candy he had. He handed her another, before putting the rest in the corner.

"Help yourself," He said, "but make sure you rest, okay?"

Abby smiled, "Okay," she said.

Owen was pacing the corridor outside the zero room. He wanted desperately to be with his friend. If he couldn't be in the room with her, he would wait outside. He'd wait forever for Abby.

Peri watched from around the corner. He wasn't a bad kid really, she decided. He was kind and caring, but Peri did have to wonder how long that kindness would have lasted if Abby had stayed a vampire.

Owen turned to pace back and spotted her. He froze.

"It's okay," Peri said, smiled, "I come in peace."

Owen relaxed a little, but said nothing. He looked everywhere but at her, unable to meet her gaze.

"How you doing?" Peri asked.

"Fine," Owen said.

There was a pause then Owen said, timidly, "I'm sorry about before, in the forest."

"Oh that?" Peri said, acting nonchalant, "Don't worry about it. I've seen plenty of things scarier than a 12-year-old boy."

"The Doctor said something about time and space travel," Owen said, "Is that true?"

"Yeah," Peri said, sitting down. Owen joined her.

"What's it like?" he asked.

"Amazing, truly amazing," Peri began, "there are so many wonderful things to see and do. But then there are days when I wish I'd stayed at home."

"Me too," Owen whispered.

Peri put her arm around the boy. He continued.

"I love Abby. She's the only friend I have but tonight I was in that warehouse thinking if only we could go home, if only Abby was normal."

"Well, now you can go home," Peri said, cheerily.

"No," Owen said, "we'll be in trouble."

"What sort of trouble?" Peri asked, concerned.

Owen was nearly in tears, battling so many emotions. He knew he shouldn't tell anybody about what happened on their last night in Los Alamos, but he couldn't hide it anymore.

"People died," Owen wept, "These other kids, oh god!" He leaned forward, resting his head in his hands.

"I hated them so much, but I just wanted them to leave me alone!" he cried, "I even hit back one time thinking, no, praying that they would just go away!"

His hands clenched into fists as he relived his painful memories. Peri rubbed his shoulders, trying to calm him down, taking in every word he said.

"One night," he continued, "they cornered me, attacked me. They dragged me back to the pool, they were going to drown me!"

"The pool?" Peri asked.

A voice up the corridor made them both jump.

"Los Alamos Swimming Centre, yes?" the Doctor asked, as he walked towards them.

Owen nodded timidly.

"Abby saved me," he said.

"She killed four boys, not to mention countless others over the centuries," the Doctor stated.

Owen said nothing. He'd seen Abby rip people apart and drink their blood, but he didn't want to believe that was all Abby was. She liked puzzles, she listened to his problems when no one else did.

"Are you still going to help her?" Owen asked, unsure whether he would.

"Yes," the Doctor sighed, resignedly.

He moved towards the door of the zero room, "Now if you'll excuse me, it's time to examine the patient."


	6. Chapter 6

Abby was sitting in the corner, unwrapping another piece of candy when the door to the room opened.

"You want a candy?" Abby asked.

"No, thank you," the Doctor said, as he walked in.

Abby turned. She had expected Owen to walk in. She tried to look past the Doctor.

"Where's Owen?" she asked.

"He's outside," the Doctor answered.

"Can I talk to him?" Abby asked.

"Talk to me a little first," the Doctor said, "How are you feeling?"

"I feel kind of funny," Abby said.

"Let me take a look at you," the Doctor said, stepping towards her.

Abby stepped back, pressing her back to the wall. The Doctor stopped.

"It's alright," he said, calmly, "I really am a doctor. I'm just going to examine you."

He pulled a stethoscope out from his pockets, put the earpieces in and held out the chest piece out towards her. She cautiously stepped towards him, allowing him to check her vital signs.

The Doctor listened intently. He seemed satisfied.

"Only one heart, but a mighty strong beat," the Doctor said.

He put the stethoscope away, laid his hand either side of her head and looked into her eyes.

"Strange shade of green, but not uncommon," the Doctor said, more to himself than Abby, "What about those headaches after you regenerated?"

"Um, there gone. But my head feels bigger, like there's more space." Abby said, feeling a little unsure. In 300 years she'd never regenerated before so everything seemed so new.

"Bigger on the inside, eh?" the Doctor asked, "tell me, what's 451 divided by 17?"

"26.5294117647058823…" Abby began rattling off decimal points, fast as lightning.

The Doctor raised his hand to stop her. "Alright," he said, "you may have inherited more than just my hair colour. Anything else?"

"There is one more thing," Abby said, "It's just that, well, I'm a girl."

"Yes," the Doctor said patiently, "and a perfectly healthy one, at that."

"It's just that before," Abby said, embarrassed, "I wasn't."

The Doctor was slightly shocked. "Are you sure?" he asked, incredulously.

"Well, yes! Of course I'm sure!" Abby said, "That's not the kind of thing you forget, Doctor!"

"But you looked…" the Doctor stopped. "What happened when you became a vampire?"

At that point, Abby turned away. She'd already shared that experience with Owen, but that was telepathically. To share it with the Doctor, she would have to put it into words and that was worse.

"I don't think I can tell you," she started to cry.

The Doctor rested his hand on her shoulder and gently turned her to face him. He put his hands on her head again and looked deep into her eyes

"I'm not a fully practised psychic, but I have my moments," the Doctor said, "Show me. Contact."

Abby closed her eyes and thought back through the last three hundred years. Only this time the Doctor was there, watching her memories as they happened, walking around in her mind. He saw all the family and friends that became her first victims. All the friends she'd had who were her age that eventually grew up and tried to rape her. The people she was forced to kill to survive. The horrifying events of Wellsville, Arizona that led her and Thomas to Los Alamos. Then, finally, the moment she was turned.

The Doctor saw the old man who attacked Abby. The face had faded with memory, but the eyes were as clear as day. They were dark eyes, evil eyes that closed in on Abby as she slept.

The Doctor felt himself slowly drift into Abby's place. The Doctor was the one in bed, who woke up to the sight of those dark eyes. The Doctor was the one who screamed in horror and ran, desperate to get away. The Doctor was the one who was over-powered by the dark man as his teeth sank into Abby's neck. The Doctor felt the man's hand running up Abby's nightdress, holding the knife that would…

"NO!" the Doctor screamed in anger, breaking contact with Abby's mind.

Not even the tranquillity of the zero room could quell his fury. He screamed at the top of his lungs as he rallied over to the wall on other side of the room. In a blind rage, he began pummelling his fists into the wall of the zero room. With every strike he cried for Abby's past. In an ideal universe, Abby would have lived a quiet life, maybe even a happy one, but that was snatched away by a monster. The Doctor kept punching wall until his knuckles bled.

Abby walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. The Doctor turned back to Abby, his eyes red raw. When he saw the sad look in her eyes, he wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm so sorry," the Doctor whispered, "No one should ever have to experience that."

"Can you save me?" Abby asked, "You're a wizard, right? You can you go back and stop it?"

The Doctor stopped hugging her and stared into her eyes again.

"I can't do that, I'm sorry. So many people have died, the effect on the Web of Time would be catastrophic," the Doctor explained. "But I swear on my lives, I will find the dark man, I promise. And when I do, that beast will pay for what he did."

Abby and the Doctor embraced again.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Their moment was interrupted by a gurgling noise from Abby's stomach. The Doctor stepped back from Abby and looked at her.

"Hungry?" he asked, smiling.

"Starving," Abby said, "and I'm almost out of candy."

"Candy? No, you need some decent food," the Doctor said.

He put his arm around her shoulder and together they stepped out of the zero room.

The Doctor, Peri, Abby and Owen stood in the TARDIS console room, dressed in warm clothes for the cold Albuquerque morning. Peri had helped Abby choose hers since Abby wasn't used to dressing warmly.

The Doctor pulled a lever on the console and the doors to the TARDIS opened. The Doctor immediately stepped out, followed by Peri and Owen. It was a beautiful day and the sun had already started to melt the snow around the TARDIS.

They all turned back to see Abby still standing inside the TARDIS. Owen went back to get her.

"Come on," Owen beckoned her, "You'll be fine."

Abby walked with Owen to the doorway but stopped short of stepping out. Slowly she put her hand out into the sun and quickly drew it back, like someone testing a shower's temperature before stepping under the water.

When she looked at her hand and saw no damage, she held her hand out in the sun and kept it there. Goosebumps formed on the back of her hand. It felt so good, so warm. She looked at Owen and smiled.

Owen smiled back, realising what an incredible moment it was for her just to feel the sun on her skin. He stepped out of the TARDIS and turned back holding his hand out to her. Abby took it, closed her eyes and stepped out into the sun for the first time in centuries.

The warmth of the sun enveloped her, bringing back memories of playing in the sun with her sisters. She opened her eyes and smiled at the group.

But the smile disappeared. Her eyes hurt, the brightness of everything around her was too much for her. She ran back into the TARDIS and slammed the door.

"Abby?" Owen ran in after her, followed by the Doctor and Peri.

They found her in the corner, curled up in a ball, arms wrapped around her legs.

Owen knelt down beside her.

"Abby, what's wrong?" he asked.

"I can't go out there," she sobbed, "My eyes…"

"Are adjusting to the light," the Doctor interrupted.

Owen and Abby looked up at the Doctor.

"You've been a vampire for so long, your eyes have gotten used to nothing more than the dull glow of a light bulb," the Doctor said, "but you mustn't worry, you'll get used to sunlight."

"Come on, kids," Peri said, "let's get some breakfast."


	7. Chapter 7

The four of them sat in a diner, deciding what they would have. Since Owen and Abby were only kids, and the only currency the Doctor had on him wouldn't be valid for another 45 years, Peri was buying breakfast.

Owen ordered bacon and eggs, Peri ordered scrambled eggs on toast and the Doctor ordered a full breakfast with toast, eggs, bacon and sausages.

"You should be careful of your cholesterol, Doctor," Peri said, worrying more about her hip pocket than the Doctor's health.

"Alas, you may only live once, Peri, whereas I do not," the Doctor said, almost gleefully.

The waitress taking their order raised an eyebrow. There was something wrong with this guy. She turned to Abby.

"What about you, honey?" she asked.

Abby had looked at the menu for a long time. She had been in places like these before but the smells had meant nothing to her. Now everything smelt so alluring she felt spoiled for choice.

"Um, could I have some… water?" Abby asked, cautiously.

"Sure thing, honey," the waitress said, "and to eat?"

"Um," Abby started, fidgeting in her seat.

She could feel everybody looking at her, watching her becoming flustered and that made her feel even more flustered. She started to sweat nervously. She knew this was stupid. All she was doing was ordering breakfast.

Owen, who was sitting next to her, could tell she was uncomfortable. He reached out and held her hand.

"Is there any food you miss from before?" Owen whispered, trying to help.

Abby thought about the food she used to have when she was younger. There really wasn't much that her family could afford back then, mostly just bread.

'Bread!' Abby thought. Abby was old enough to remember when companies started to produce pre-sliced bread. When she was a kid, she would try to slice bread herself, but it never worked out. Either the knife would cut it at the wrong angle; the bread would break in half as she was slicing it, or the crust would be so hard that she'd have to force the knife in and would end up squashing the bread.

Abby thought that sliced bread was the best idea since… well, ever. But she'd been a vampire and couldn't consume anything other than blood. Sometimes that had been enough to make Abby sad, knowing that she could never have a little thing like sliced bread.

"Could I just have some bread?" Abby asked the waitress.

"Do you want it toasted?" the waitress asked.

"No."

"Any butter or spreads?"

"No."

"Just bread?" asked the waitress, "how many slices?"

"Four," Abby said.

"Okay," the waitress said, raising an eyebrow as she wrote the order down.

"Bread and water?" the Doctor asked, "That's hardly a meal for a king, is it?"

Abby looked down at the table, not wanting to meet the Doctor's gaze. She almost felt like she'd let him down somehow.

"Hey, leave her alone, Doctor," Peri said, "If she wants bread, let her have it. She's got plenty of time for everything else."

Abby looked up and smiled at Peri. Peri winked at her and Abby grinned.

"Oh, very well," the Doctor shrugged.

He turned back to the waitress.

"That will be all, thank you," he said.

The waitress chuckled and headed back to the kitchen.

While the group waited for their meals, the TV over the counter was playing local news.

The anchor read to camera, "… still no sign of young Owen Hall."

The whole group turned at the mention of Owen's name.

The anchor continued. "The boy went to the Los Alamos Swimming Centre on the night of the attack. His body was not found at the scene and there were no clothes left behind in his locker, which leads police to suggest that he left before the attack occurred. However, witnesses from that night, most of them children, only recall the four victims entering the building but don't recall Hall leaving the building. We have a statement from his mother, Jennifer."

Owen's eyes widened as his mother came onto the TV screen.

"Owen, honey," his mother began, "if you are out there, please come home. I know you're scared, we all are. Strange things have been happening around here but please," she looked pleadingly into the camera, "please, don't leave me. Come home, Owen."

Owen's mother disappeared to be replaced by the news anchor again.

"A heart wrenching plea, there," he stated, utterly devoid of emotion, "and in our next story…"

The group turned back to the table. They saw Owen, desperately trying to hold back tears. Abby put her arms around him and he started sobbing quietly.

Peri started welling up too. She couldn't think of anything to say that would make it okay.

The Doctor, on the other hand, was thinking. He'd had been foolish enough to lock his family out of his life before. He wasn't going to let Owen make that mistake.

"I'm going to take you home," the Doctor stated.

Owen looked up, wide eyed.

"But you can't," he said.

"Yes I can, and I'll tell you why!" the Doctor began, "I will not have my blood flowing through the veins of someone who spends there life in the shadows!"

Owen and Abby sat stunned by the Doctor's outburst. Even Peri was speechless.

The Doctor pointed his finger across the table to the two children.

"You two are going back to Los Alamos and you are going to make better people of yourselves. I know what you're plan was when you left Los Alamos. You," he said, pointing at Owen, "were content to leave everything behind for a _vampire_. You probably would've killed for her too, hmm?"

Owen looked down at his hands, ashamed of himself.

"And you," the Doctor pointed to Abby, "were going to use him as you're puppet. I'll even bet that you were only friends with him because you needed someone to do your dirty work!"

"That's not true!" Abby protested.

"Doctor, take it easy," Peri said.

The Doctor ignored Peri and continued.

"How many others have there been?" the Doctor asked, interrogating Abby, "Did the last one die of old age? Or did you kill him?"

"Doctor, stop it!" Peri said.

"They all kept getting old," Abby whimpered, frightened by the Doctor's intense stare.

"And you stayed exactly the same," the Doctor finished. "Did it ever occur to you to take a stroll in the sun and end it all there?"

"DOCTOR!?" Peri yelled, outraged he would even suggest such a thing.

But the Doctor was unstoppable, "If I hadn't come along, the cycle would've continued exactly as it always has, wouldn't it? You're now human because of me! Therefore, you will BOTH go back to Los Alamos and make better people of yourselves. Is that clear?"

Abby and Owen sat in silence for a moment. Owen had gotten somewhat used to being downtrodden but for Abby this was a completely new experience. In the past, people were careful not to lose their tempers around her. Even Thomas knew to keep his mouth shut most of the time but towards the end, he didn't care. He was almost goading her to attack him.

But the Doctor was in no danger anymore and he knew it. So did Abby. Her face flushed red with anger. She started to cry, selfishly wishing she had the power to rip the Doctor apart.

The Doctor calmed himself down, sensing Abby's anger.

"Your life will be different from now on," he told Abby, speaking quieter now, "It going to take some getting used to."

Abby met the Doctor's cold stare with her own.

"How?" Abby challenged, "How can we become better people after everything we've done?"

"Become doctors when you grow up," he said, simply. "Heal people. It will go some way to exorcising your demons, believe me."

Abby paused for a moment considering what he'd just said. Her cold stare disappeared and was replaced with a look of hope.

"When I grow up?" Abby asked, half-smiling, "I'm gonna grow up?"

The Doctor sat back and smiled too, "Yes, you will."

Abby sat back, stunned. She'd never considered what she would do if she grew up. She'd just learned to accept it was never going to happen.

"So we could get, like, a house and have kids and stuff?" Abby asked, holding Owen's hand. Abby and Owen smiled at each other.

"Hey, don't rush into it just yet," Peri said, "you're still very young."

"And there's the 300 year age difference to consider," the Doctor added.

Abby and Owen giggled. Peri chuckled too.

"So, are we dropping these kids off in Los Alamos?" Peri asked as their meals arrived at the table.

"Of course!" The Doctor said, tucking in to his full breakfast, "I won't havff theefff chulddremm gowg horrm allorn!"

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Doctor!" Peri scowled.

In an effort to distract himself from the Doctor's terrible eating habits, Owen watched Abby feasting on her bread and water.

'Feasting' was the right word. Owen watched as Abby delicately removed the crust from the bread and savoured every mouthful of the white dough. She had a look on her face of sheer bliss.

It had been so long since she'd tasted anything at all. In the past, drinking blood had nothing to do with taste. Her taste buds had basically withered and died as soon as she was changed. But now, her new taste buds were coming alive. The soft freshness of the bread was truly wonderful. Every now and then, she would wash it down with a drink of water.

Owen watched curiously as Abby sipped at the water as if it were a fine wine. She sighed every time she had a drink, the same way Owen would if he was drinking a milkshake.

Abby noticed Owen was watching her and started giggling.

"What?" she asked, "You want some of my water?"

"Uh, okay," Owen said, taking the glass she offered to him.

He took a sip. Abby was watching him expectantly and he knew it. But try as he might he just couldn't get excited over plain, boring old water. He swallowed and Abby smiled.

Owen smiled back, confused.

"What?" he asked, "Its just water."

"I know," Abby said, "Isn't it wonderful?"

She took her glass back and finished the rest of it. She sighed with contentment, then poured another glass.

Owen began to realise that there were a lot of things Abby had missed out on, way more than just Rubik's cubes, video games and candy.

"Abby?" he asked, "Have you ever eaten chocolate?"

Abby turned and looked at him. She thought for a second, then shook her head.

"No," she replied, "Is it good?"

Owen was stunned. He looked across at Peri, who was listening to their conversation. She had a look of sheer disbelief on her face.

"Whoa! You've never eaten chocolate?" Peri exclaimed, "Alright. Doctor, we're stopping by a shop on our way to the TARDIS."

The Doctor nodded, fervently. "I firmly agree!"


	8. Chapter 8

On the way back to the TARDIS, they stopped by a local convenience store to pick up several bars of chocolate. Peri, Owen and the Doctor all had their favourites they wanted Abby to try first. The Doctor also browsed a road map of New Mexico and quickly jotted down the co-ordinates for Los Alamos.

As they stepped out of the shop, the sun was shining brightly. Again, Abby hesitated before stepping out into the sunshine, as though testing an uneasy truce with a life-long enemy.

As they walked towards the blue box behind Peri and the Doctor, Abby was trying one of the chocolates. She naturally chose Owen's selection first, which was just a straight dairy milk chocolate. Owen didn't want to give her too many different flavours (like caramel or honeycomb) on her first try.

She bit into the chocolate and as it melted in her mouth, she felt an amazing sugar rush through her body. She shivered.

"Oh wow!" Abby exclaimed.

Peri occasionally looked behind her to see the two children sharing their chocolates. Peri knew Abby had been given a gift by the Doctor, even if he didn't intend to. Biting the Doctor had made Abby human again. A thought struck Peri and sent a cold shiver down her spine.

"Wait a minute, Doctor!" Peri exclaimed, "what about you?"

The Doctor continued walking alongside her, non-plussed.

"What about me what?" he asked.

"My knowledge of vampire folk lore may be a little rusty," she said, "but aren't vampire bites supposed to infect their victims? You aren't you turning into a fireball right now?"

The Doctor sighed, "Isn't it obvious, Peri?"

Peri frowned, "No, Doctor! It might be to your incredible mind, but poor, little old me doesn't get it, okay!"

"Peri, I'm a Timelord in my prime," the Doctor explained, "Six lives in and going strong. Vampirism converts living flesh to dead flesh. I've died five times already so in a sense, I'm immune to vampirism."

"And if you hadn't regenerated before, what then, huh?" Peri challenged.

"My flesh would've died and I'd have regenerated anyway, much the same as Abby did," the Doctor calmly answered, "now, any more questions, Miss Brown?" he asked smugly as he stepped inside the TARDIS.

"I was just checking, Doctor," Peri answered, defensively.

As they followed into the blue box, Owen and Abby giggled to each other as they watched the Doctor and Peri bickering like an old married couple.

The Doctor pulled the door lever and they closed behind the children. Owen and Abby took their first proper look around the TARDIS console room.

"If you're not a wizard, how do you fit all this into a phone box?" Owen asked.

"It's a secret of my people," the Doctor answered, typing the longitude and latitude for Los Alamos, New Mexico.

"How many of you are there?" Abby asked.

"Eleven, I believe," the Doctor replied, before realising what she was really asking. "I mean hundreds, thousands. There's a whole planet of Timelords out there," the Doctor said before muttering, "somewhere."

The Doctor hit the materialisation control and the TARDIS wheezed into life.

Vvorrp, vvorrp, vvorrp, thump.

"And here we are," the Doctor said, feeling pleased with himself.

"We're home?" Owen asked, "So soon?"

"I know, right?" Peri replied, impressed, "If only he could get me home that easily."

Owen looked worried again. He turned to the door and looked unsure if he would walk through them.

"Time to leave, you two," the Doctor urged.

"But what are we gonna tell everybody?" Owen asked.

"The police already think you ran away," Peri said, "Why don't you say you were scared of getting attacked?"

"Will people believe that?" Owen asked.

"There will always be sceptics, Owen," the Doctor answered, "it's human nature."

"What about me?" Abby asked.

The Doctor moved from around the TARDIS console towards Abby until they were face to face. He felt an overwhelming sense that he was leaving a piece of himself behind. He wrapped his arms around Abby in a warm embrace.

"When you grow up," the Doctor whispered, "and your perception of the world changes, you look back at some of your memories a new sense of horror. I've seen your memories and I know you don't fully understand some things you've seen. When that happens, think of this ship and I'll come back."

"How will thinking of you bring you back?" Abby asked.

"Timelords and their ships are telepathically linked," the Doctor explained, stepping away from Abby and gesturing around the console room before pointing back to Abby, "You are now a part of that link."

"But what do I do now?" Abby asked, "Where can I go? Where will I live?"

"With me," Owen said, "You can live with me. But I'll have a talk Mom into it first."

"Good man," the Doctor said, proudly, "Now, good-bye!"

Then just like that, the Doctor turned back to the TARDIS console and began making preparations for their next trip. He never liked long farewells.

Peri stepped forward and shook their hands.

"Well, it was a rough start but I think it's worked out pretty good, huh?" she said.

Owen and Abby smiled. At once they hugged Peri tightly and she hugged them back with all her might.

"Ready yet, Miss Brown?" the Doctor called.

Peri untangled herself from Owen and Abby as the TARDIS doors opened behind them. Peri guided the two children out of the TARDIS.

"Doctor!" Abby called back, "Don't forget the dark man!"

"I won't," he called back.

Abby didn't hesitate this time as they stepped into the sunshine and found themselves back in the playground where she and Owen first met.

"Wow!" Owen exclaimed, "We're really here."

Abby and Owen turned back to Peri. She quickly winked at them before entering the TARDIS and closing the doors. A second later the engines wheezed into life. Owen and Abby had to shield their eyes from the wind as the TARDIS disappeared. A moment later it was gone, leaving behind a clear square patch in the snow.

They looked at each other for a moment, unsure of what to do next. Then Owen shrugged.

"Well, I guess we better go home," he said, "we've some explaining to do."


End file.
